1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a printed circuit board holder and connector assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic enclosures are typically formed with an area to attach a connector to obtain certain signals. A wire harness may be connected to an electronic enclosure. The enclosure has a connector shroud that mates with a part on the wire harness. The connector contains metal terminals that typically have a male portion and a female portion that mate together to form an electrical path.
The prior art electronic enclosures have been made by insert molding. In insert molding, the metal terminals are placed into a plastic injection mold cavity and liquid plastic is injected at high pressure into the cavity around the metal terminals and cooled to form the finished part. This provides a very secure attachment between the terminals and the enclosure or housing. Unfortunately, insert molding has many associated problems. For example, insert molding is more expensive than non-insert molding because additional labor is required to place the metal terminals in the mold prior to injecting the plastic. Longer cycles times are necessary for insert molding resulting in lower production for a given machine.
The injection of the plastic around the inserts can cause them to shift resulting in a defective part. Further the shifting of the inserts can also cause damage to the mold.
Connecting a printed circuit board to insert molded terminals is difficult because there is limited access to the ends of the terminals in a typical molded housing. One solution is to use wire bonding to run a wire between the printed circuit board and the terminals. Unfortunately, this adds additional cost to the process.
There is a current unmet need for an printed circuit board mounting system for connection with terminals in an enclosure that can be produced at a low cost and that is reliable.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a printed circuit board retainer. The printed circuit board retainer includes a plate having opposing first and second surfaces. Several slots extend through the plate. A latch assembly extends from the second surface. The latch assembly has the printed circuit board mounted to it. Several terminals are mounted to the printed circuit board and extend through the slots. A lock is mounted to the latch assembly to prevent the latch assembly from releasing.